Mitch

Okay, exactly how "forbidden"/frowned-upon are sneakers in Paris? <BR> <BR>Heading there on a week-long trip next week, going to be doing LOTS of walking, yet wife is dropping heavy "hints" that wearing sneakers is a big non-no. <BR> <BR>Now, is that just because I will look like a tourist? Am I to believe that your typical young French man never wears sneakers out in public? Mind you, I'm not talking about blatant, garish running shoes or the like; I'm talking fashionable Skechers, or low-profile J Crew-type sneakers. <BR> <BR>Don't worry, I am prepared to save America from disgrace, and wear hush puppy loafers and the like. But just curious where this anti-sneaker prejudice comes from. (After all, it's not like tourists visiting NYC from other countries are always fashion templates! LOL)

Christina

really, it depends what you intend to do. If you are just sightseeing, who cares. If you expect to go to a quasi-decent restaurant, don't, it is inappropriate dress. Given you are married, I am guessing you are too old to be wearing sneakers as serious footwear (Skechers?). If you are college-age, then go ahead and wear such shoes, some young French males do wear fashion-style sneakers meaning not your basic white Nikes, whatever the current hip thing is (laceups, whatever). Sneakers are not "forbidden" if you really think you are not allowed to wear them, they just look adolescent, mainly, and aren't appropriate on grown men. They look dumb.

Mitch

<I>"I am guessing you are too old to be wearing sneakers as serious footwear"</I> <BR> <BR>Can I tell jokes in serious footwear? <BR> <BR>Actually, if I am going to be sightseeing, walking up-and-down the Seine and back again, sneakers would seem to be <I>appropriate</I> footwear. Alas, you have made it clear that, lest I risk looking "dumb" and "adolescent" to the couture crowd, I should sacrifice a proper amount of comfort. Sigh. That's what I figured. <BR> <BR>

Capo

Re: "Don't worry, I am prepared to save America from disgrace, and wear hush puppy loafers and the like." <BR> <BR>*LOL* <BR> <BR>In my opinion, it's certainly not as if NO Parisians wear sneakers, but I think that sneakers are more <I>likely</I> to mark one as a tourist. Now, if you don't care about that, that's fine; it's entirely up to you. It's not as if you're going to be thrashed with baguettes by irate Parisians. <BR> <BR>I think "low-profile" sneakers look nice. The sneakers I find hideous are the ones you mentioned, the "blatant, garish running shoes" type of sneakers. But to each their own, as I'm sure many people think the "blatant garish running shoes" look cool and very stylish (or else they don't care how they look and wear them just for comfort.) <BR> <BR>

Art

Of course it is not forbidden, however I have a pair of Ecco shoes that are much more comfortable than my best pair of sneakers. <BR>Regards <BR>Art <BR>

Mitch

Not to fret; I do not own the proverbial blatant, garish running shoes. The ones I recently bought - and would like to bring, but not if it will result in the aformentioned barrage of baguettes - are black suede Adidas, with three somewhat discreet white stripes on each side.

Dee

I must reply after being in Paris for 8 days of walking. I "obeyed" the gurus who said not to wear my white, comfortable Rockports, and dropped a bundle on Eccos - the most comfortable shoes I could find. I have never been in such extended pain! (I popped Advil like they were candy!) I have several foot problems, which apparently Ecco did not address, and would have been much more comfortable in my gym shoes. Yes, I wore them many times ahead of the trip to break them in, yet not to the extent that I wore them on the trip - besides, after the amount of money I spent on them, I felt I should be ok. My feelings after the problems I had - next time I'll wear whatever I **** well please! Call me disgruntled, but if Europeans want my money, they can just ignore my "adolescent" footwear.

Jim Tardio

I was just there in April, Mitch. I started out in black sneakers, but after 2 days they hurt my feet...I switched to my regular white Adidas that I wear at home. I saw countless Parisians in sneakers and went into two stores on the Champs Elysees that had their shelves lined with them. <BR> <BR>Out to dinner at night, I put my black ones back on. <BR> <BR>I've traveled to many places in Europe and the most worrying I've ever seen about how you dress is right here on these message boards. It's simply not an issue to lose sleep over. I've received both great and horrible service dressed either way. Be comfortable and enjoy yourself. <BR> <BR>http://www.jimtardio.com/paris,france.html

Harvey

Where do you get these Ecco shoes? I haven't seen them in any stores around here? Who sells. Harvey Colubus Oh

Harvey

I spent a week in Paris wearing white sneakers (not too garish. The waiters usually started speaking English after I said Bonjour. I didn't eat anywhere fancy and never got beaten with baguettes.

Sue

My husband just wore them for a week there and it was fine. They were more 'trendy' sneakers, not athletic. And he wore Levi's too (gasp!) Comfort is key. I even wore my running shoes on the last day, which I swore I'd never do, because my feet were so sore from a week of walking. I would've made him wear different shoes and pants had we gone to extremely expensive restaurant, but he was fine even at 'quasi' expensive places. The brand Camper is very popular there and their whole line is made up of sneakers (that look like bowling shoes!)

Bob Brown

My guess is that if you showed up wearing sneakers at Hotel Matignon you would be denied entrance. <BR>If you turn up at Bistro de la Gare or La Brioche Doree, they are primarily interested in the color of your money.

Brett

I just returned from a week in Paris and I decided to wear my sneakers during the day while tooling around the city and shoes when we went out to dinner. There were tons of people in Paris wearing sneakers as well...though they were mostly tourists, there are so many tourists that you will not look out of place anyhow -- many places there are more tourists than Parisians. Just dress better for the nice restaurants and you will do fine.

Lauren

Ah, another thread on the eternal subject of the "correct" footwear--aka The Great Shoe War. <BR> <BR>In light of the fact that a white sneaker invasion is taking over Europe, as American fads lamentably affect the Continent, the French have decided to disband the Fashion Police. <BR> <BR>By the way, when I have European guests, their first purchase is invariably a pair of white sneakers. Guess they are just trying to "fit in". Maybe they don't want to be taken for--horrors--European tourists.

Leilani

My daughter's friend returned home in December after a semester studying in Paris. When she came to our house for dinner, she was wearing a long, elegant dress... with black running shoes, a combination she said was all the rage with the 30-and-under set.

asaav

How can I explain this... obviously if you have to ask the question of whether or NOT to wear sneakers, it means you should just do what you do and wear your sneakers if you think these are the only comfortable shoes in the world to wear. I have NEVER worn a pair of sneakers in my life I am in my 30's and walk and walk and walk everywhere, always and walk in comfort. I think the problem you're worrying about is one that is disappointing everywhere, including our NYC, where style has gone the way of the farm in kansas, more or less... What you should understand is that in a city as beautiful and stylish as Paris, many Parisians simply wish that visitors bring something of style to ADD to their city, NOT detract from it, as sneakers and sweats, etc., certainly do and as has happened in NYC (NYC, fashion capital of the world, please! no longer! you have to search long and hard to see interesting & stylish people here any more). Hurrah for the Parisians who have a great pride and respect for a city that provides so many visitors with amazing visions of beauty in fashion & architecture, why on earth does everyone wish to visit Paris? To see tourists walking around looking like bags of laundry? This pride that Parisians feel for their city is usually mistaken by others as unfriendly snobbery, when they are just disappointed that visitors don't respect it the same. You, I'm sure, will be treated fine if you do wear them, and i'm sure the appreciation you obviously will not experience, really makes no difference to you since, as i mentioned before, if you have to ask... forget about it... wear them, I can't imagine you really care.

e

Hey Asaav----people like you scare me---REALLY scare me.

asaav

dear e - let me see, what exactly scares you... the fact that i have never worn sneakers? Ooohh! I think there are more important things in the world to be 'scared' of! As mentioned above, wear what makes YOU, as an individual person, FEEL comfortable, and that includes comfort both inside and out!

Patti Suttle

I bought a pair of Eccos and so far NOTHING beats my Reeboks for comfort-not even my $100 pair of Eccos! <BR> <BR>When I am traveling I am enjoying MYSELF <BR>and I have never bothered to worry what others are wearing. I have more fun and important things to do. <BR>Yeah Dee! YOU are probably fun to travel with! <BR>Patti

Gym

Asaav, you've never worn sneakers? Come on. Don't you exercise? Didn't you ever play a sport, even as a small child? Do you wear wingtips when you go for a run or something? <BR> <BR>Sheez!